heartworms are nasty
By TheRealDawn
@dawnald (85146)
Shingle Springs, California
March 14, 2011 2:32pm CST
I was at the vet getting a prescription for heartworm medication for my dog. I can get the meds a lot cheaper through the rescue I volunteer for. While I was there he was talking to a woman whose dog had gotten a heartworm infestation. She had only skipped one month of his meds. I'm glad I got my dog's meds right away. Heartworm is rampant up here. We never treated our dogs down south, but I guess it's all over the 50 states now. Anyway, if you're anywhere near mosquitoes, and you don't have your dog first tested, and then given preventative medication, you could be letting them in for a really nasty condition, fatal if untreated. So unless your dog is 100% indoors, and even that's not a guarantee, don't skip a dose. It's not worth it!
1 person likes this
13 responses
@dawnald (85146)
• Shingle Springs, California
17 Mar 11
heartworm pills are given monthly, but tapeworm meds are usually only given if you actually see one...
@nangisha (3496)
• Indonesia
17 Mar 11
I don't have clue about it. It just pill and I put in slice breads to decoy my dog. I will ask my vet in our next visit.
I ever see tapeworm in biology class and its big if you compared to others worm. Its the section of thats subject I don't really like. Its made gross really and after thats I don't wanna see or eat noodle because its made me remember it and killing my appetite.
1 person likes this
@dawnald (85146)
• Shingle Springs, California
16 Mar 11
too cold although I know you do have mosquitoes...
@dawnald (85146)
• Shingle Springs, California
17 Mar 11
YOu can get rid of it if you catch it early enough, but it can be fatal
@jugsjugs (12967)
•
16 Mar 11
I live in the UK and i will say that i treat both my cats as well as dogs, for flea, ticks, worms and they are jabbed every year.I get worming pills in advance to when they need them and i also write the dates when needed again in my diary.As for heart worms i heard that there was a woman who was a cat breeder that sold kittens that had heart worm and they had to be destroyed, that was miles away from me, but it was common knowledge about that one person.So perhaps here in the UK we will see an increase with the heart worm cases.
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@inu1711 (5285)
• Romania
15 Mar 11
Hello dawnald,
I've heard about heartworms that they can make a dog lose his life if they are not diagnosticated and treated in time. Luckily we don't have such a threat here, in my country. We have our war with ticks 
which can infect our dogs with Babesiosis, a lethal condition if it is left without the proper treatment.
It is good to know that there is a preventive medication against heartworms. There is no vaccine and no other preventive treatment against Babesiosis and it is so sad to live with the fear of getting those nasty creatures while walking in the woods!
which can infect our dogs with Babesiosis, a lethal condition if it is left without the proper treatment.
It is good to know that there is a preventive medication against heartworms. There is no vaccine and no other preventive treatment against Babesiosis and it is so sad to live with the fear of getting those nasty creatures while walking in the woods! 1 person likes this
@dawnald (85146)
• Shingle Springs, California
16 Mar 11
We have ticks here too and they pass on lyme disease and other nasty stuff. Never heard of Babesiosis though.
@GardenGerty (160721)
• United States
14 Mar 11
Many scary things out there. It helps to be proactive.
1 person likes this
@bunnybon7 (50973)
• Holiday, Florida
15 Mar 11
thanks for telling people. you are so right. there are seldom mosquitoes here or even ticks etc. coco spends most of her time inside but i still give it to her. its important just in case. 
good for you. in fact someone here just reminded me with another discussion the other day. thats why mylot rocks
@much2say (55686)
• Los Angeles, California
15 Mar 11
Eek! This reminds me of some footage I saw many years ago (was it on That's Incredible, I don't remember). It was of an elephant that had a worm infestation in its trunk! I remember they put the elephant to sleep and they cut open that big ol' lump in the trunk . . . the vet scooped out this hunk of worms from the slit like a handful of spaghetti . . . rather gross!
1 person likes this
@goldenkagi (137)
• Philippines
15 Mar 11
Thanks for the reminder! My dogs are up for their monthly. But I've seen notes at our vet's place, about this new year long heartworm preventive. I will have to do research about that and see if it will work for my dogs. Thanks again.
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